Detection of Bacterial Pathogens in the Different Sauces of Street Foods along Taft Avenue, Manila (2005)

Abstract

Street foods dipped in different sauces are a popular snack in the Philippines, particularly in Metro Manila. Consumption of these products together with its sauces may pose a potential health risks due to the absence of an effective quality control. Several cases of street food and its sauces containing bacterial food pathogens have been reported. This study detected the presence of four common food-borne bacterial pathogens namely Salmonella sp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus in the different sauces of the street foods. Enumeration of E. coli, S. aureus, and B. cereus in the sauces was also done. The study sampled two types of sauces namely sweet, and sweet and spicy from five vendors stationed along the length of Taft Avenue from Pedro Gil to United Nations were chosen. Three sampling dates between July to August 2005 was done for each of the vendors. Results showed that Salmonella sp., E. coli and S. aureus were present in the different sauces of street foods. On the other hand, B. cereus was not detected. The average count of E. coli in sweet sauces was 8.45 MPN/g while for sweet and spicy, was 5.48 MPN/g. For S. aureus, the average count in sweet sauces was 1.46 x 10? cfu/g while for sweet and spicy, was 3.1 x 10'cfu/g. The presence of Salmonella sp., E. coli, S. aureus, and absence of B. cereus, consistent in all vendors and sampling, suggest a common source of contamination; during the initial preparation of the sauces. However, differences in the population of E. coli and S. aureus among vendors and samplings could be due to variations in the individual vendors’ sanitary practices, storage conditions and holding time of the sauces. The inhibitive properties of garlic, onion, and pepper may have also contributed to the low bacterial counts of E. coli and S. aureus in the sauces.